Feature summary (what you would like to be able to do and where):
The Global IP block exemptions (GIPBE) feature, administered by Stewards via Metawiki, allows users to use proxies on WMF projects even if the proxies are blocked globally <s>and/or locally.</s>
Stewards use their best judgement on assigning the GIPBE right by user request, but they don't know the nuances of each wiki. For certain wikis, this can cause challenges for the local CUs. Those wikis have local processes to determine which user should get local IPBE right and for how long. Stewards cannot honor these local preferences, as the GIPBE right overrides the local IPBE right. An attempt to set up a guideline for Stewards about this have failed.
This feature allows a certain wiki to be completely excluded from GIPBE. This means any user who needs IPBE must obtain it through the local process on those wikis.
Use case(s) (list the steps that you performed to discover that problem, and describe the actual underlying problem which you want to solve. Do not describe only a solution):
Persian Wikipedia (fawiki) is a classic example here. Most editors on this project are from Iran, where internet blockade is common. Therefore, many users tend to use proxies as they browse the internet. Local policy does not allow the use of proxies when editing fawiki. Local policy acknowledges that having to turn off the proxy for editing on Wikipedia and turning it on again for other internet browsing may be an inconvenience, but emphasizes that the negative impact of proxies on CheckUser data call for users to accommodate this inconvenience. There is a local process for IPBE and CheckUsers honor these requests from good faith users (including good faith cross-wiki users). However, fawiki users often evade this process altogether by obtaining GIPBE on Meta instead.
Benefits (why should this be implemented?):
- CheckUser logs will not be filled with proxy data
- There would not be an inequity, whereby users who know English and can navigate Meta would have a higher likelihood of getting around proxy blocks by way of GIPBE
- Sockmasters won't be able to evade CU by way of their sleeper accounts by getting GIPBE before making local edits